Butter storage in refrigerators



Feb. 20, 1962 E, w LD, JR 3,021,688

BUTTER STORAGE IN REFRIGERATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 13, 1961Fig.1

H15 A TTORNEY INV EN TOR. HOW/1AD E. W/IVF/ELD JR 33 Fig.5

Feb. 20, 1962 H. E. WINFIELD, JR 3,021,683

BUTTER STORAGE IN REFRIGERATORS Filed March 13, 1961 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. HOW/UFO E. W/NF/ELD J/E Unite States This invention relates torefrigeration and particularly to conditioning butter stored in acompartment within a refrigerator cabinet.

A butter storage and conditioning compartment in refrigerator cabinetsand exposed to the low temperature within a refrigerated chamber thereofhas been artificially or electrically heated to warm or maintain butterin the compartment at approximately 65 F. so that the butter will be ata proper spreading temperature immediately upon removing same from therefrigerator. The artificial heating of a butter storage compartment ina refrigerator cabinet is complicated, increases manufacturing costs ofthe refrigerator and is an expense to the user thereof. For thesereasons I propose to warm butter stored in a butter storage compartmentof a refrigerator cabinet by utilizing natural or inherent existingtemperatures associated with or ambient to a refrigerated chamber of arefrigerator so as to overcome problems involved in electrically heatinga butter storage compartment.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel and imroved conditioningarrangement for butter stored in a butter storage compartment of arefrigerator cabinet.

Another object of my invention is to provide for the warming of a butterstorage compartment in a refrigerator cabinet automatically throughoutprolonged use of the refrigerator and without any expense to orattention by the user thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide automatic warming of abutter storage compartment of a refrigerator in response to temperatureswithin the compartment by conducting and substantially preventingconduction of heat of air ambient a refrigerated chamber in therefrigerator with which the compartment is associated.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is to provide arefrigerator cabinet with a butter storage compartment exposed to thelow temperature of a refrigerated food storage chamber therein forcooling the butter below room temperatures which compartment issubstantially sealed from foods in the chamber and is warmed by anelement while in one position conducting heat thereinto and, when theelement is rotated from one position to another position, reduces theconduction whereby butter stored in the compartment is kept at a desiredspreading temperature above the temperature maintained in the foodchamber.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a household refrigerator cabinet showing thecabinet door open with a butter storage compartment thereon exposed tothe low temperature of the food chamber in the cabinet when the door isclosed;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the butter storagecompartment with its door open to illustrate elements associated withthe compartment;

- FIGURE 3 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view through therefrigerator door taken along the lines 3-3 partment with thecompartment door open;

atent f FIGURE 4 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view through therefrigerator cabinet door taken along the lines 44 of FIGURE 2 with thebutter storage compartment door closed and showing a rotatable heatconducting element in one position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 with theheat conducting element in another position;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURES 4 and 5 withthe heat conducting element in still another position;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines7-7 of FIGURE 2 showing a thermostatic device in the butter storagecompartment;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines8-8 of FIGURE 2 showing a retaining plug for the rotatable heatconducting element; and

FIGURE 9 is an exploded'view showing a driving or interlock connectionbetween the rotatable heat conducting element and the thermostaticdevice in the present construction.

In order to illustrate my invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings wherein I show in FIGURE 1 thereof a twotemperature multiple chambered household refrigerator cabinet 10including outer metal panels or wall members 11 and separate inner lineror wall members 12 and 13 spaced from wall members 11' and having anysuitable or desirable insulating material disposed therebetween as isconventional in the art. The walls composed of members 11, 12 and 13with the insulation therebetween form bounding walls of two chamberswithin cabinet 10. The bounding walls form an upper open front unfrozenfood storage chamber 16 and a lower freezing or frozen food storagechamber provided with an individual door 17. These chambers areinsulated from one another and a single main insulated door structure18, hingedly mounted on cabinet 10, extends across both chambers andcarries a gasket 19 thereon adapted to sealingly engage the front of thecabinet. Walls 11 extend downwardly below the freezing chamber, closedby door 17, and provide a machine compartment in the bottom ofrefrigerator cabinet 10. An air passageway formed in back of liner 12 bywalls indicated at 21 is provided with inlet openings 22 and an airoutlet opening 23 both cornmunicating with the interior of food storagechamber 16 A refrigerating system is associated with the refrigeratorcabinet 10 and includes a first refrigerant evaporator 26 in the form ofa conduit coiled or wrapped around and secured to the outer surface ofliner 13 .of the lower freezing chamber, and a second refrigerantevaporator conduit coil 27 is disposed in the air passageway behindliner 12 of the upper unfrozen food storage chamber 16. Theseevaporators 26 and 27 are connected to one another and to a refrigeranttranslating device in cabinet 10 to form a refrigerating system as isconventional in the art. The refrigerant translating device may be inthe form of a motor-compressor-condenser unit (not shown), preferablylocated in the machine compartment at the bottom of refrigerator cabinet10. An electric motor 28 drivingly connected to a fan or blower 29, bothlocated in the air passageway at the rear of chamber 16, circulates airout of chamber 16, through the air inlets 22 over evaporator 27 andthrough the air outlet 23 back into the upper chamber. This circulatedair is cooled by evaporator 27 and caused to flow in a circulatory pathwithin chamber 14 for refrigerating or chilling food products storedtherein. Any suitable or conventional controls may be provided forstarting and stopping the motorcompressor unit and for causing operationof motor 28 and consequently fan 29. Such controls are set to causeevaporator 27 to cool the interior of food chamber 16, say, for example,between 37 to 43 F. The hingedly Patented Feb. 20, 1962 mounted maincabinet door structure 18 forms one of the bounding walls of chamber 16and comprises an outer or front metal panel or wall 31 and an innermolded plastic panel or wall 32 with portions spaced from Wall 31 andsecured thereto about the peripheral edges of the walls in any desirableor now conventional manner. Suitable insulating material 33, similar tothat within other bounding walls of cabinet it is disposed within thespace between door walls 31 and 32 (see FEGURES 3 and 4). The innerpanel 32 or door 18 is provided with integral walls 36, 37, 38 and 39forming the top, bottom, back and sides respectively of a casingdefining a butter storage receptacle or compartment on the boundingwall, closure member or door 18 of chamber 16. This casing forming thebutter compartment is arranged so as to be inset within the spacebetween wall members 31 and 32 of door 18 and the compartment has anaccess opening normally facing the interior of chamber 16. The accessopening of. the butter storage compartment is closed by a door 41- whichfaces the interior of chamber 16 so as to be exposed to the lowtemperature therein and this door prevents flow of air from chamber 16into the butter compartment. Compartment door 41 may be constructed ofany suitable material depending upon the de sired or predeterminedamount of thermal conduction required therethrough from chamber 16 intothe butter compartment. By closing the butter compartment with door 41,butter stored therein is prevented from absorbing odors of variousodoriferous foodso-ccasionally placed in food chamber 16 while beingcooled by air circulated over and across the butter compartment door inthe chamber by fan 29. Door 41 is pivotally mounted on panel 32 of maincabinet door 18 by a piano-like hinge or other suitable hinges 42 and aknob or handle 43 on this door facilitates opening and closing same.

According to my invention and in order to increase the temperature ofbutter, indicated by the dot-dash lines 44 and supported on a platter ordish 45 also indicated by dot-dash lines (see FIGURES 3 and 4), 1provide means for periodically and automatically warming the interiorofthe butter compartment so as to maintain butter stored therein at atemperature intermediate the temperature within the chamber 16 and. roomtemperature of an air ambient the refrigerator cabinet. While I am awarethat others have. previously war-med. butter stored in a compartmentwithin arefrigerator cabinet, such warming has either been done bymanual operations or electrically'a't the expense of'a user ofarefrigerator and therefore prior arrangements have not been entirelysatisfactory. In the present disclosure the. casing defining the buttercom"- partment is provided with a plurality of wall extensions 47projecting beyond the rear or back wall 38 thereof into close proximitywith the metal outer panel or wall 31 of door 18 (see FIGURES 3 and 4).The space or pocket bounded by casing wall extensions 47 is devoid ofinsulation 33 andconsequently this pocket or void is exposedto thetemperature of 'warm air ambient chamber 16, beyond the insulation indoor 18, conducted into the void" through metal 'door wall 31. Back wall38 of the butter compartment has'opposed web-like bosses 49 slotted orhollowed out as. at 51 to provide spaced-apart pivotal mounts orbearings for a purpose to be presently described. The butter compartmentback wall 38 has an elongated aperture 52' therein and an elongatedround rod-like or laminated element 53 is disposed in this aperture toform a means which substantiallyfills and closes same. Element 53 infilling and closing aperture 52 has one portion thereof exposed to airwithin the pocket or .void' formed by the-casing wall extensions 47 andanother portionthereofin heat exchange relationship with air in thebutter storage compartment. The round means or element 53 comprises oris composed of a plurality of'fiat strips of metal 56, preferably ofgood heat conducting properties, spaced apart by flat strips of suitableinsulating material 57.- Theabutting alternate laminations or strips 56and 57 of element 53 may be secured together in any desirable fashion toprovide a unitary heat conducting element. Thus this means 53 isacomposite element including the laminations 56 and 57 and molded plasticor the like caps 58 are located at the ends thereof. One end cap 58 ofthe elongated round element has a short hub or stub shaft 61 thereonwhich fits in a bearing 51 of the casing defining the butter compartmentand the other end cap 58 has a longer shaft 62 thereon fitting in theopposite bearing 51 and extending therebeyond (see FIG- URES 3 and 7).Shaft 6-2 is slotted as at 63 (see FIG- URES 2 and 7) for a purpose tobe presently described. The shafts 61 and 62 of the means or roundelement within bearings 51 mounts same on the casing defining the butterstorage compartment for rotation relative thereto. Such rotation of theround means or element 53, in either. one of two positions, is limitedby stops 64 thereon (see FIGURES 4, S, 6 and 9) to an arc of 96 in orderto accomplish the result desired thereof. Any suitable or desirable plugmeans (see FIGURES 3 and 8) may be attached to the one boss 49 by screwsor the like and projected into the slot or hearing 51 for holding stubshaft 61 therein. A thermostatic means or device is located within thebutter storage compartment and is to-=bc actuated in response totemperatures therein. This thermostatic means is in the form of orcomprises a length of him'etal material 65 coiled into convolutions withits one or inner end 66 disposedin slot 63 of shaft 62 on the roundcomposite element 53 and has its other or outer end 67 stationarilyanchored to a portion of the casing defining the butter compartment (seeFIGURE 7). The plug means at stub shaft end 61 of element 63 and thesecurement of end 67 of the bimetal coil 65 to the'casing retainselement 53 on door 18 for rotation relative thereto and'to the casing.The size of the bimetal 65 and its number of convolutions arepredetermined and is adapted upon temperature changes within the buttercompartment to have a closing-curled and'an open enlarged curlingmovement which rotates shaft 62 and consequently the round element 53from one position into another position and from the other position backinto the one posit-ion and/ or positions therebetween. Such bimetaldevices are now conventional and well known needing no further ordetailed description herein. Rotation of the round element 53 by themeans or thermostat 65 is adapted to automatically maintain butterstored in the butter compartment at approximately 65 F. in a manner tobe hereinafter described.

Upon initially installing the refrigerator cabinet 10 thermostaticbimeta'l means 65 is, by virtue of chamber 16 and the butter compartmenttherein being at room temperature, say, for example, between 70 and F.,in an expanded orsubstantially open curled position with elongated roundelement 53 rotated and held thereby in the position thereof shown inFIGURE 5 of the drawings. With the butter storage compartment warm or atroom temperature metal strips 56 of element 53- are as shown in FIGURE 5of the drawings located so as not to effect conduction of heatexteriorly or ambient chamber 16 into the butter storage compartment.The refrigeration system is now rendered. operative and evaporator 27lowers the temperature in food chamber 16 to between 37 and 43 F.Operation of motor 28 causes fan 29 to circulate cold air forwardly inchamber 16 and upwardly long the inner face of door 13 over and acrossdoor 41 of the butter compartment to cool the interior thereof. Butter44 on dish 45 in the butter compartment is to be properly and safelypreserved in a temperature at 60 to 65 F. and since the temperature inthe butter storage compartment may now be reduced or fall far below thisdesired limit by the refrigerating effect produced by evaporator 27, itis necessary to warm the butter so that it can be readily cut and easilyspread immediately upon removal thereof from the refrigerator cabinet;Means or thermostatic device 65 senses the lowering temperature withinthe butter compartment and the'bimetal is actuated, contracted orconvolutions thereof curled or coiled closer together so as to rotateits end 66 and consequently shaft 62 which, in turn, through aninterlock connection, rib or web 71 on the one end cap 58 and groove 72in element 53 (see FIGURE 9), also rotates element 53 counterclockwise,as viewed in FIGURE 7, about an arc toward or into the position thereofshown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings wherein the metal strips 56 arehorizontally disposed. While this full 90 rotation of element 53 may beonly temporary and is limited by a stop 64 engaging a wall 38, havingthe aperture 52. therein, it is to be understood that such rotation maybe through a smaller arc or at any one of several positions intermediatethe maximum rotation of element 53 such, for example, as the angularposition thereof shown in FIGURE 6 of thedrawings. As the temperaturewithin chamber 16 approaches its 37 to 43 F. normal limit, means orthermostatic device 65 continues to sense the attempt to also lower thetemperature within the butter storage compartment and holds element 53substantially in the position thereof shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.In this position of element 53, heat of warm air ambient chamber is,beyond the insulation 33, and particularly heat dissipated through metaldoor wall 31 into the void or space bounded by easing walls 47 isabsorbed by metal strips or laminations 56, exposed thereto, andconducted through casing wall 38. This heat is dissipated from metalstrips 56 into the air within the butter storage compartment and servesto warm the interior thereof. As the temperature of air within thebutter storage compartment rises, in response to conducting heat of airambient chamber 16 thereinto, means or thermostat 65 senses thisincreased butter storage compartment temperature and is actuated,expanded or convolutions thereof curled or uncoiled further apart so asto rotate its end 66 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 7 ofthe drawings. This reverse rotation of the end 66 of bimetal coil orthermostat device 65 also rotates element 53 from the position thereofshown in FIGURE 4 toward or into the position shown in FIGURE 6. Thisincreased temperature within the butter storage compartment causes bothedges of two or more of the metal laminations or strips 56 only ofelement 53 to move or rotate past walls of aperture 52 in thecompartment rear wall 38 and conduction of heat through element 53 intothe butter compartment is thereby reduced. Element 53 may, duringprolonged operation of the refrigerating system and use of therefrigerator, assume a normal position, in the vicinity of that shown inFIGURE 6, intermediate that of its extreme positions in FIGURES 4 and 5of the drawings to stabilize heat transference into the buttercompartment. In other words, element 53 is rotatable back and forth fromone position into another position and may come to rest in a positionwhereby only one or more metal strips or laminations 56 thereof will besimultaneously exposed to Warm air ambient chamber 16 and cooler airwithin the butter compartment so as to thereby counteract lowering ofthe temperature Within the compartment, to substantially that of foodchamber 16, whereby butter 44 on dish 45 in the butter storagecompartment is maintained at approximately 65 F. Thus element 53 may bea ternately rotated in opposite directions to conduct a maximum amountof heat into the butter storage compartment or to substantially preventor reduce such conduction as the case may be in response to temperatureswithin the compartment. While I have described heat of warm air beingtransmitted through door wall 31 into the space or void at the rear ofthe butter compartment, it is to be understood that warm air ambient therefrigerator cabinet may be permitted to flow into direct contact withone portion of element 53 if such is desired.

It should, from the foregoing, be apparent that I have provided a butterstorage preserving or conditioning com partment in a refrigeratorcabinet which is nonartificially heated to obviate the necessity ofextending electric current conveying wires from within the main bodyportion of a cabinet to or into the door of the refrigerator. Myimproved butter storage arrangement substantially seals butter in thebutter compartment from air in the food storage chamber of arefrigerator and the butter cannot therefore absorb odors of foods. Myimproved arrangement functions continuouslyin response to temperaturesexisting in a butter compartment to automatically in crease and/ ordecrease the temperature of butter stored therein and therefore thebutter is maintained at a temperature permitting it to be readily cutand easily spread immediately upon removing same from the refrigeratorcabinet. The warming'of butter in a butter storage compartment inaccordance with the present disclosure is attained without expense tothe user of the refrigerator.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet provided with a food storage chamberbounded by spaced-apart wall members having insulating materialtherebetween, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding a refrigerant evaporator cooling said chamber to a low foodpreserving temperature, a casing inset in the space between said membersof a bounding wall of said chamber and having walls defining a butterstorage compartment therein, said casing being provided with an accessopening facing the interior of said chamber and a door for the openingexposed to the low temperature within the chamber, a wall of said casinghaving an aperture therein, an element rotatably mounted on said casingdisposed within the aperture in said wall thereof to substantially closesame, a portion of said element being in heat exchange relationship withthe interior of said compartment and another portion of the elementbeing exposed to warm air ambient said chamber beyond the insulation insaid bounding wall, means actuated automatically in response totemperatures within said butter compartment connected to said elementfor rotating same relative to said casing from one position into anotherposition while the element maintains the aperture in said wall closed,said element when in its said one position conducting heat of said warmair directly into said compartment through the aperture in said casingwall, and said element upon being rotated out of said one position intosaid another posi tion thereof by said means reducing said conductionwhereby to control the temperature of butter placed in said compartment.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet provided with a food storage chamberbounded by spaced-apart wall members having insulating materialtherebetween, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding a refrigerant evaporator cooling said chamber to a low foodpreserving temperature, a casing inset in the space between said membersof a bounding wall of said chamber and having walls defining a butterstorage compartment therein, said casing being provided with an accessopening facing the interior of said chamber and a door for the openingexposed to the low temperature within the chamber, a wall of said casinghaving an elongated aperture therein, a round rod rotatably mounted onsaid casing disposed within the aperture in said wall thereof tosubstantially close same, said rod being composed of a plurality ofmetal .laminations insulated from one another, a portion of said rodbeing in heat exchange relationship with the interior of said butterstorage compartment and another portion of the rod being exposed to warmair ambient said chamber beyond the insulation in said bounding wall,means for rotating said rod relative to said casing from one positioninto another position while maintaining the aperture in said wallclosed, said metal laminations when said rod is in its said one positionconducting heat of said warm air directly into said compartment throughthe aperture in said casing wall, and said metal laminations uponrotating the rod out of said one position into said another positionthereof by said means reducing said conduction whereby to control thetemperature of butter placed in said compartment.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet provided with a food storage chamberbounded by spaced apart wall members having insulating materialtherebetween, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding a refrigerant evaporator cooling said chamber to a low foodpreserving temperature, a casing inset in the space between said membersof a bounding wall of said chamber and having walls defining a butterstorage compartment therein, said casing being provided with an accessopening facing the interior of said chamber and a door for the openingexposed to the low temperature within the chamber, a wall of said casinghaving an aperture therein, means rotatably mounted on said casingdisposed within the aperture in said Wall thereof substantially fillingand closing same, a portion of said means being in heat exchangerelationship with the interior of said compartment and another portionofthe means being exposed to warm air ambient said chamber beyond theinsulation in said bounding wall, a thermostatic device actuatedautomatically in response to temperatures withinsaid butter compartmenthaving a connection with said means for rotating same, said means beingrotated by said device relative to said casing from one position intoanother position while maintaining the aperture in said casing wallclosed, said means when in its one position conducting heat of said Warmair directly into said compartment through the aperture in said casingwall, and said means upon being rotated out of said one position intosaid another position thereof by said device reducing said conductionwhereby to control the temperature of butter placed in said compartment.

4. In a refrigerator cabinet provided witha food storage chamber boundedby spaced-apart wall members having insulating material therebetween, arefrigerating systern associated with said cabinet including arefrigerant evaporator. cooling said chamber to a low food preservingtemperature, a casing inset in the space between said members of abounding wall of said chamber and having walls defining a butter storagecompartment therein, said casing being provided with an access openingfacing the interior of said chamber and. a door for the opening exposedto the low temperature within the chamber, a wall ofsaid casing havingan aperture therein, means for. automatically controlling the.temperature of butter placedin said compartment, said means comprisingan element. rotatably mounted on said casing disposed within theaperture in said one Wall thereof substantially filling and closing sameand a thermostatic device enclosed by said casing for operating saidelement, a portion of said element being in heat exchange relationshipwith the interior of said compartment and another portion of the elementbeing exposed to warm air ambient said chamber beyond the insulation insaid bounding wall, said thermostatic device being out of thermalconductive contact with said casing and actuated in response totemperatures of air within said butter compartment for rotating saidelement relative to the casing from one position into another positionwhile maintaining the aperture in said one Wall there of closed, saidelement when in its one position conducting heat of said warm airdirectly into said compartment through the aperture in said casing wall,andsaid element upon being rotated out of said one position into saidanother position thereof by said thermostatic device reducing saidconduction.

5. In a refrigerator cabinet provided with a food storage chamberbounded by spaced-apart wall members having insulating materialtherebetween, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding a refrigerant evaporator cooling said chamber to a low foodpreserving temperature, a casing inset in the space between said membersof a bounding wall of said chamber and having walls defining a butterstorage compartment therein, said casing being provided with an accessopening facing the interior of said chamber and a door for the openingexposed to the low temperature within the chamber, the rear wall of saidcasing having an elongated aperture therein, means for automaticallycontrolling the temperature of butter placed in said compartment, saidmeans comprising a round rod rotatably mounted on said casing disposedwithin and substantially filling the aperture in said rear wall thereofto close same and a thermostatic device for operating said rod, aportion of said rod being in heat exchange relationship with theinterior of said compartment and another portion of the rod beingexposed to warm air ambient said chamber beyond the insulation in saidbounding wall, said thermostatic device being actuated in response totemperatures within said butter compartment for rotating said rodrelative to said casing from one position into another position whilemaintaining the aperture in said rear wall of the casing closed, saidrod when in its one position conducting heat of said warm air directlyinto said compartment through the aperture in the rear wall of saidcasing, and said rod upon being rotated out of said one position intosaid another position thereof by said thermostatic device reducing saidconduction.

6. In a refrigerator cabinet provided with a food storagelchamberbounded by spaced-apart wall members having insulating materialtherebetween, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinetincluding a refrigerant evaporator coolingsaid chamber to a low foodpreserving temperature, a casing inset in the space between said membersof a bounding wall of said chamber and having walls defining a butterstorage compartment therein, said casing being. provided with an accessopening facing the interior of said chamber and a door for the openingexposed to the low temperature within the chamber, a round elongatedelement mounted on said casing for rotation relative thereto, a portionof said element being exposed to warm air beyond the insulation in saidchamber bounding wall and another portion of said element being in heattransfer relationship with air within said butter storage compartment,said element being constructed to conduct heat transversely therethroughalong the length thereof, means for rotating said element from oneposition into another position automatically in response to temperatureswithin said butter storage compartment, said element while in'its saidone position conducting heat of warm air ambient said chamber into saidcompartment, and said element when rotated out of said one position bysaid means into said another position thereof substantially reducingsaid conduction whereby to control the temperature of butter placed insaid compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,068,550 Knight Jan. 19, 1937 2,363,375 Wild Nov. 21, 1944 2,783,030Solley Feb. 26, 1957

